The Noble Man and The Wolf Girl

Part 9

He silently watched her, keeping his presence unnoticed from her. He saw her hoist herself in the white wedding dress. 'She is so beautiful, and she doesn't even realise it' he noted in his mind. She reached behind her back, trying to zip it closed. However she didn't succeed and then Elijah saw the change, the twitch in her emotions.

It was when she stumbled forward, her hands gripping on either side of the mirror and the tears started rolling down her face, he stepped inside the room.

"Hey, shhh", he whispered as he gently gripped her arm and turned her towards him. His arms snaked around her neck, his hand clutching in her hair. Her arms wound tightly around his torso, and she pressed her face into the nape of his neck as he pulled her into an embrace.

After minutes of standing there like they did, Elijah finally felt the pounding of her heart going slower, and the jolting of her shoulders stopping, he retreated. Only slightly. He cupped her face, brushing away her tears with his thumb.

"Elijah..", she faltered before she found her words "I can't just end it like this. This can't just be the end of.. 'us'."

Elijah grabbed her hands and squeezed it as he placed them against his chest "you can, and you will", he spoke calmly.

"How", she looked up at him desperate, her eyes glazing with water.

"Because..", the simple three word sentence lay upon his lips, so simple yet so special. As he had never spoken the words out loud to anyone. "I let you in Hayley. I don't let people. You got under my skin and I couldn't refuse you. I knew the pain it would eventually cause me and yet I couldn't. But the thing is Hayley, I regret no second of it. I'm honoured to love you. To hold you, to touch you. All of it. It is worth it. Because I.."

Hayley squeezed his hand. "Elijah, don't", Hayley shook her head, feeling her eyes fill again.

"I'm going to say the words, and you're going to hear them. And after that you're gonna walk through that door with me, and I'm gonna walk you down that altar.",

"Elijah you don't have to", hayley whispered.

"I will. I love you Hayley Marshall. You being the first and only person I've ever said this to, only defines that I truly mean it. I love you. And I'll wait thousands of years for you if that is what's necessary. I promise."

Hayley looked at him before she gripped her hand in his hair, feisty. She crushed her lips onto his. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. Knowing they both needed this. He pinched his eyes closed, finding both passion and pain in this last and single moment with 'his girl'. He pressed her close, as close as possible wanting to feel every inch of her existence. Tears escaped Hayley's eyes as she poured all she had in their last kiss.

She retreated reluctantly from his lips, immediately forcing her forehead against his own. She cupped his cheek with her other hand, her fingers caressing his stubble. She scrunched her eyes closed. "I love you too", she whispered. Tears rolling down her cheek.

"Don't cry", she said, her tone broken as she saw him closing his eyes, pushing away the tears that he felt coming up. He opened his eyes, smiling at her. "See who's talking",

She laughed between a sniffle.

"I'm sorry", she murmured.

"For what", he spoke the words softly.

"For ruining your hair.", she giggled

He smiled "it's a honour to get my hair ruined by you, Hayley Marshall.",

"I remember the first time I did it",

Elijah nodded "as the day of yesterday."

"I was still pregnant then. The day after our first kiss. I remember Klaus finally leaving the room after he gave me a lecture about his ridiculous history stories",